Executive Leadership at IST

Hal Blackman - President & CEO

Hal Blackman

Hal Blackman is the founder, CEO, and owner of IST Management Services, Inc. He has more than 35 years of experience in sales and management. Hal’s vision is to create a national business process and litigation support company that is focused and passionate about exceeding client expectations and simultaneously reducing their costs.

 

IST has operations in over 40 cities throughout the United States. Serving both legal and corporate markets, IST has remained the partner of choice for organizational support services.

 

In addition to his role at IST, Hal is the developer, owner, and operator of the Halidom Eatery, Atlanta’s most unique food hall. Located on the first floor of IST’s international headquarters, the Halidom Eatery is home to eleven local chef-driven concepts and the beautiful art-deco bar, Bar La Rose.  

 

A cum laude graduate of West Virginia University, he holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration with a specialization in human resources. Hal lives in Fayetteville, Georgia, and his sons, Joshua and Sean, both graduated from the Naval Academy and are now veterans of the US Navy.  Hal is married to Rosa, the founder of one of Atlanta's premier kitchen design and remodeling companies. Together, Hal and Rosa raise Rosa’s 16-year-old son, Maddox. 

Andrew Addison - Vice President of Technical Solutions

Andrew Addison

Andrew’s purpose-driven outlook landed him with IST right out of college in 1999 and since that time he has risen swiftly from Service Specialist to Director of Project Management and then to his current position as Vice President of Technical Solutions.


His primary objectives are planning and execution of IST software systems and he works directly with the development team enhancing existing platforms. Andrew was also instrumental in the development and deployment of IST’s electronic Document Management platforms.


Andrew’s goal for IST’s technology is to have existing applications leverage more automated processes to reduce the number of clicks per user. He is also keen on introducing more analytical metrics for reporting and forecasting.


While working at IST Andrew also served his country for 12 years in the Georgia Air National Guard as an Engineering Assistant for the 116 Air Control Wing. Based in Warner Robbins, Ga, he is an active participant in IST charities, raising money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Lost-N-Found Youth and other local organizations.

Andrew earned an Associate’s Degree in Science, from the University of South Carolina. When not working to ensure IST’s cyber security Andrew takes pleasure in being with his family – his wife, son, and Great Dane, Xander and pug, Kubo.

Sydney Ayers - Vice President, Talent Acquisition

Sydney Ayers

Sydney Ayers is a dynamic and results-driven talent acquisition leader who began her journey with IST Management in 2014 in an entry-level role in Chicago. Through dedication, innovation, and a deep understanding of people and process, she achieved the role of Director of Talent Acquisition in 2016 and relocated to Atlanta. She was promoted into the Vice President Position in 2023.


At IST, Sydney has transformed the hiring landscape, streamlining processes to cut time-to-fill by half and successfully hiring hundreds of employees nationwide. She leads a passionate and high-performing team of recruiters, driving strategic growth and championing inclusive hiring practices across the organization.


Her commitment to workforce development was shaped early on during her internship at the SAFER Foundation, where she supported individuals transitioning from long-term incarceration by helping them build essential skills and find meaningful employment.


Sydney is a proud graduate of DePaul University, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in just three years, graduating cum laude.


Outside of work, she enjoys hiking the scenic trails around Atlanta and North Georgia, watching horror movies, diving into fantasy novels, exploring new restaurants, and relaxing at home with her husband, John.

Brad Burgess - Vice President of Marketing & Real Estate

Brad Burgess

Brad Burgess started his career at IST as a Service Specialist managing a file room at a client site.  As IST has grown so has his career and he now serves as IST’s Vice President of Marketing & Real estate. Brad leads a talented team of marketing experts handling the art and science of B2B marketing including; content marketing, social media marketing, email marketing, digital marketing, event management, business intelligence, brand marketing, lead generation, sales support and graphic arts design. As the Vice President of Marketing, Brad has played a critical role in helping IST grow from a 5 million-dollar facilities management company to an 80 million-dollar business process outsourcing company.


Brad has an Associates in Liberal Arts from Young Harris College and a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Georgia.  Brad lives in Duluth, GA with his wife and son where he enjoys running, photography, blogging and traveling.  Brad also services as an Assistant Scout Master for Boy Scout Troop 143 and as a photographer and graphic designer for the Lambert Lacrosse Boaster Club.

Greg Caraway - Vice President of Legal Solutions

Greg Caraway

Greg Caraway is Vice President of Legal Solutions for IST Management Services. Greg has over twelve years of experience leading project teams in the management of extremely large document processing and review engagements involving multiple terabytes of data. Previous to his current position, Greg was a Director of Client Services at DTI and a Practice Support Project Manager with Jones Day LLP. Greg has also worked as a Litigation Trial Consultant for GDC Animation creating trial graphics and animations. Mr. Caraway is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi with a degree in Software Engineering and a Master’s Degree in Design Computing.

Matthew DeCurtis - Vice President Business Development & Shareholder, Legal IT Infrastructure 

Matthew DeCurtis

Matthew DeCurtis serves as Vice President of Business Development for IST Management Services. With more than 25 years of experience guiding organizations through complex technology transformations, Matthew leads IST’s go-to-market strategy for legal IT infrastructure solutions, partnering with law firms and corporate legal departments to strengthen security posture, modernize operations, and unlock measurable business value.

 

Reporting to Chief Information Officer and Chief Information Security Officer Jordan McQuown, Matthew brings deep expertise across enterprise AI strategy, intelligent automation, cybersecurity, managed services, and cloud infrastructure. His career spans highly regulated industries, including legal, financial services, and life sciences, where he has built a reputation for translating emerging technology into operational efficiency, governance, and sustainable revenue growth.

 

Prior to joining IST, Matthew was a Senior Consultant with Netrix Global, where he served as a strategic advisor to C-suite executives on AI, cybersecurity, and managed IT services, and played a key role on the integration team following Netrix’s acquisition of Ricoh IT Services. Before Netrix, he spent more than five years as Vice President of Managed Operations at Verinext, where he built the company’s managed services practice from the ground up, owning the P&L and scaling delivery, cloud, cybersecurity, and vCIO offerings under private equity ownership. Earlier in his career, Matthew served as Senior Director of Managed Services at Dataprise, where he built and scaled a $30 million annual recurring revenue practice across the Northeast, and spent more than twelve years at Ricoh USA as Director of Strategic Development and Solutions, where he drove cloud adoption and digital modernization for some of the country’s largest enterprises.

 

Matthew has been recognized nationally as one of CRN Magazine’s Top 40 Under 40 Executives in the United States for executive innovation and leadership. He holds a range of industry certifications, including Microsoft Certified Professional and Cisco Certified Mobile Network Associate. Based in the greater Philadelphia area, Matthew is a longtime supporter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and an active participant in the MS-150 fundraising ride.

Nicole DiBlasi - Senior Vice President & Partner

Nicole Diblasi

As the Senior Vice President and Partner, Nicole is based in Tampa, Florida, and is responsible for the oversight of the National Sales Team. Nicole collaborates with law firms, including Am Law 100, and large corporations to facilitate the implementation of eDiscovery best practices and processes through utilization of the industry's most innovative software and service solution. Through her interest in technology and law, Nicole has developed extensive knowledge of eDiscovery and litigation workflow, allowing Nicole to work with her clients to develop fully customized and strategic eDiscovery solutions according to their discovery requests and overall litigation support needs.


Nicole is a graduate of Boston University with a degree in communications and a concentration in sociology and violin performance. A Boston native, Nicole is also a classically trained, international prize-winning violinist, who has performed as a soloist with several orchestras. She is an advocate for music education and the importance of the arts. Nicole has worked with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the House of Representatives, and the U.S. Office of Pretrial Services. In her spare time, Nicole enjoys cooking, fitness training, DIY-ing, collecting Italian wines, traveling, and enjoying time with family and friends.

Melissa DiGiulian - Senior Vice President & Partner

Melissa DiGiulian

Melissa has been a driving force at IST Management for more than 15 years, building strong client partnerships and expanding the company’s presence across one of the most competitive markets in the country. Recruited directly after graduating from the University of North Carolina Wilmington, Melissa quickly distinguished herself through relentless work ethic, strategic thinking, and a passion for delivering exceptional service to clients.

 

Early in her career, Melissa played an essential role in doubling IST’s footprint in New York City. Her consistent performance and leadership helped her rise to the role of Vice President & Partner, where she now oversees sales and client relationships across the entire East Coast territory, from Maine to Florida. Known for her responsiveness, persistence, and deep understanding of client needs, she continues to help organizations enhance daily operations while delivering the high-touch service IST is known for.

 

Melissa earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. She has also been actively involved in philanthropic efforts, serving as a spokesperson for numerous promotional and charitable events and raising funds for organizations including Special Olympics and Best Buddies.

 

Melissa and her husband currently reside in Little Silver, New Jersey with their three children. Outside of work, she enjoys fishing, crabbing, golfing, running, decorating, and spending time by the ocean.

Azure D. Hicks - Vice President, Operations Litigation Services - Atlanta, GA

Azure D. HIcks

Azure D. Hicks is the RCA Certified Vice President of Operations Litigation Services for IST Management. Azure is a graduate of Georgia Southern University where she received a BBA in Information Systems. While at Georgia Southern, Azure worked in the on-campus Computer Lab where she first found her love of computer technology. After graduation, Azure spent the next decade working in Call Center Operations and Business Analysis throughout North Carolina. At the turn of the millenia, Azure moved to Charlotte, North Carolina where she began her career as a CyberForensics Analyst within Bank of America's newly formed internal eDiscovery department. Years later, after leaving the corporate world for the flexibility of the third-party vendor, Azure has worked her way up through the ranks to acquire the knowledge and experience she has today. Heading up project both large and small, Azure focuses on making sure her clients have the tools and education needed to make each project a success. In her spare time, she enjoys reading books by her favorite author, listening to eclectic musical selections and spending time with her family.

Jordan McQuown - Chief Information Officer / Chief Information Security Officer

Jordan McQuown

Jordan McQuown serves as the Chief Information Officer/Chief Information Security Officer for IST Management Services. He has over 19 years of technology, security, and operations experience, with the last 10 years focused on delivering services and consulting to the legal market. Before joining IST, Jordan was focused on designing, deploying, and supporting secure, performant, and scalable eDiscovery platforms for AMLAW 100 firms, Service Providers, and Fortune 100 corporations globally. 

In these endeavors, Jordan accomplished the following:

  • Worked with a big four accounting to bring visibility of eDiscovery application operations to actionable security insight to their global eDiscovery environments.  
  • Implemented changes within with a big four accounting firms including national and local operations to meet or exceed security requirements for two of the three largest US Banks.
  • Supported development and design of security and technical systems to meet ITAR and FedRamp requirements.
  • Provided incident response for a branch of the US military.
  • Worked with hundreds of the AMLAW top ranked firms on security and technical architecture for big data solutions.

Jordan’s work has been published in numerous industry-specific publications, including the American Bar Association’s Cybersecurity Handbook and Information Security Magazine, and regularly speaks as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) on the eDiscovery security, application, and legal conference circuits.  Jordan holds a B.S. in Computer Networking from Pennsylvania College of Technology and is accredited by CISSP, GCFA, GPEN, GCIH, GSEC, Azure, VCP, & CCNA.

Rachel Meyer - CFO & Head of Acquisitions

Rachel Meyer

Rachel Meyer is the CFO & Head of Acquisitions for IST. She brings over 25 years of experience in accounting, financial system integrations, acquisitions and change management processes to help drive profitable growth for IST. She has spent much of her career in leadership, where she has dedicated herself to fostering the growth and scalability of every company. 


Having honed her skills in diverse business environments and cultures, Rachel has developed a comprehensive expertise in business, accounting, finance, and HR operations management. Her approach is rooted in deeply understanding the intricate balance between an organization's financial and human capital. Rachel excels at financial system and human capital integration, enhancing processes, ensuring profitability, and a motivated and efficient workforce.


In her tenure, she has successfully navigated companies through complex financial landscapes, ensuring stability and growth through strategic planning, adept budgeting, and insightful financial analysis. Rachel is passionate about numbers, the stories they tell, and the futures they can forge.


Rachel is a graduate from Mercer University with a Bachelors in Accounting and an MBA from Argosy University.


In her spare time Rachel enjoys taking her dog Chief hiking and to the lake, she also enjoys cooking, traveling and kickboxing. She currently resides in Woodstock, GA.

Lori Mitchum - Vice President of Human Resources

Lori Mitchum

Lori Mitchum serves as vice president of human resources administration for IST Management Services, holding over 25 years of experience in the human resources and administration field. Lori is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) by the HR Certification Institute as well as a Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) by Society for Human Resource Management. 


As the vice president of human resources administration at IST, Lori’s responsibilities include proper administration and management of employee relations, benefits, payroll, policies, procedures, training and law. Lori also serves as FSO (Facility Security Officer) and ITPSO (Insider Threat Program Security Officer) for our organization, overseeing and maintaining our employee clearance program and compliance for government contracts.  In addition, Lori oversees all company functions including sales association conventions, employee recognition and training programs, and IST's community outreach and volunteer program, IST Gives Back. 


Lori attended Kennesaw State University, majoring in international business. Currently residing in Marietta, Georgia, Lori is happily married with two daughters.

Kim Oleniacz - Senior Vice President & Partner

Kim Oleniacz

Kim Oleniacz is the Senior Vice President/Partner of IST Management Services based in Pittsburgh, PA. Kim possesses over 35 years of experience in operations management and sales of on-site services, including copy, mail, production mail, fax services, records management, receptionist, forms management, and much more. Kim has experience working for Ameriscribe, Pitney Bowes, and Archer in operations and sales capacity.


After many proven years of accomplishments, she joined IST with a desire to continue to build a strong, focused outsourcing company that delivers the highest degree of service. Kim's passion is all about creating solutions for IST clients across the country! Kim enjoys traveling and spending time with her husband, children, and grandchildren. Her family and work family are all very important and valued. This focus has led to her success within IST!

Tim Richardson - Vice President of Operations and Implementations

Tim Richardson

Tim Richardson specializes in project management, systems, procedures and technology enhancements while managing the operations of all IST sites throughout the U.S. He is also responsible for expanding client services, maintaining customer relationships and partnering with IST’s information technology department to enhance products and services. Prior to his promotion to vice-president of operations, Tim was the national director of operations.

 

He joined IST in 1999 as a service specialist and rapidly rose through the ranks, a true testament to IST’s career advancement opportunities. Tim lives in Atlanta, Georgia with his wife and family.